Two Poems by Russ Van Rooy

We were children playing with dolls.
Adolescent boys.
I found my sister’s Barbies.
I drew little dots with ballpoint pen
on her breasts for nipples.
I scratched a patch of black ink
hair on her vulva.
We removed her limbs
Then tied a string around her neck.
She was summarily executed.
What did she feel?
I felt weirdly excited.

Thursday Afternoon Down 3rd Avenue

Thursday afternoon down 3rd avenue:
Writhing humanity hankers for a cigarette.
Bent over on canes and flip flops,
just glad it’s not raining.
Police activity at Pine street,
slowing my ride and spiking my blood pressure.
Ashen faced worker bees cast
about and avoid looking at each other.
Everyone is going somewhere but
no one really has it nailed down.
Millennials are still strong and cocky.
Give them ten years squinting at web pages.

Russ Van Rooy is a guitarist/songwriter software tester armchair philosopher and cosmologist who likes to write poetry. When not contemplating what conditions were like during the first five hundred million years, Russ can be found making pancakes or playing music.

Glenn Bowie is a published poet, lyricist and photographer from the Boston area. He also owns and operates an elevator company that supplies custom-built elevators for clients from New England to Hollywood. Author of two poetry and photograph collections (Under the Weight of Whispers and Into the Thorns and Honey) on Big Table Publishing, he donates all profits from his books to various charities for the homeless and local animal shelters. Glenn is also the official photographer for the Newton Writing and Publishing Center.